Heavy Rotation (ヘビーローテーションHeavy Rotation?) is the 17th major single (19th overall) released by AKB48. It was released in three editions: two CD+DVD editions (Types A & B) and a CD only Theater version. The first pressings came with a random member card. The Top 40 members selected for this single were chosen by the fans with voting cards from the first pressings of their previous (17th) single Ponytail to Shushu. The title song has been certified Double Platinum by the RIAJ for full song downloads of over 500,000.

Just before the single came out the Kenkyuusei members went through another test/selection process to determine their future in the group (with the possibility of being promoted to the actual Teams). The #40 senbatsu member, Kenkyuusei Ishiguro Atsuki, failed the process. She wasn't featured in this single, and her spot wasn't filled.

Total Reported Sales: 881,519*Total Sales in 2010: 713,275 (#2 single of the year)Total Sales in 2011: 140,607 (#52 single of the year)Total Sales in 2012: 25,295 (#281 single of the year) Total Sales in 2013: 1,584 Total Sales in 2014: 758*

Total of weeks charting inside Top 200: 123

Chart Records

4th consecutive single to debut at #1 in the Weekly Oricon rankings.

First AKB48 Single to rank 1# in the Chaku-uta (tune) daily and weekly charts.

First AKB48 Single to ship 650,000 copies (previous record being Ponytail to Shushu with 500k).

First AKB48 Song (Heavy Rotation) to top all the Rocochoku Rankings in the same week.

This single made AKB48 the third female artist to have to singles with over 500k of first-week sales. For female idol groups, AKB48 made history as the first ones.